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A Vested Interest

7/10/2011

6 Comments

 
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This is me, far more dressed up for work on Friday than was necessary, but it was *really* fun to wear this.  As you can see, I had on a grey men's suit vest (Goodwill, $15), a grey-and-white striped shirt (Nordstrom Rack, $30), a green paisley tie (Ross, $20), and--in addition to the black watch that I mentioned in a previous post--a matching leather wrap from Urban Outfitters.



 




 
With this outfit, I didn't wear suit pants.  Instead, to convey an "I'm-dressing-up-whimsically" tone, I wore grey cords and green Converse high tops.  So fun.  I love men's suit vests, and although I only own one, I plan to use the summer weddings I'm attending to excuse the purchase of a couple others.  (For the weddings, of course, I'll make sure that the suit vest and patnts match.)  Never sported a suit vest and want to give it a try?  Here are ten fashion tips for happy vesting:
  1. If you're wearing the suit vest casually, as I was on Friday, don't tuck in your shirt.  Yeah, it'll extend past your vest; that's part of the look.
  2. If you're going for anything beyond a casual look, tuck in your shirt.
  3. Leave the bottom button of your vest unbuttoned.
  4. Don't worry about wearing a jacket with it.  You can if you want, but especially in the summer, and especially if you present as female, you can easily get away with going jacketless.
  5. Do something fun with colors.  Whether it's a casual or formal occasion, add at least two matching splashes of color.  For example, I threw in the leather wrap and green Converse to match my tie.  If I had just worn a green paisley tie but everything else was grey or black, the tie wouldn't "pop" as much, and might even look kind of random.
  6. Make sure the suit vest is big enough to accommodate breasts, hips, etc.
  7. The vest doesn't have to be a neutral color, though they're more versatile.
  8. If your vest has a pattern, your tie should probably not have one.
  9. If you're going for "dapper," try a four-in-hand knot, generously loosened.  You might even consider adding a driver's cap.
  10. Even if you usually wear a T-shirt under your dress shirts (as I do), you might consider going without it for this look, to prevent the vest from creating a bulky appearance.

I'd love it if YOU would send me the pictures of you or your friends sporting suit vests, and I'll post them on the blog!  What's your favorite suit vest look?

6 Comments
Katie
7/10/2011 08:57:41 am

I am IN LOVE with suit vests. I only have a couple, and I try to wear them as often as possible without looking like I'm regurgitating the same outfits too much.

My favorite suit vest look is a plain white button up with the sleeves rolled up, a dark mauve tie, and my white and grey striped vest. It's a specific, once-in-a-while look, but it's definitely my favorite. However, since I work in a place where they dress very casually, I rarely get to wear it.

If I'm going for a more casual look, I'll just put on a colored t-shirt and throw an unbuttoned black suit vest over it.

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BW link
7/10/2011 03:02:06 pm

Hi Katie--Sounds like an awesome look! Will you send me a pic I can post of your fave suit vest look for people to see? BW

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cris
7/11/2011 06:05:57 am

i have been wearing vests for many years. i love them and they are smart looking and can be professional too.

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bookish butch
7/11/2011 10:38:22 pm

Love the look:-) Awesome.

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Briellen
7/13/2011 02:41:06 pm

Whitney's vest looks identical to the one my ex wore to our spring Gala. (An excuse for college students to pretend that they are at prom, who would want to relive that? No Idea.)

I wish I looked half as good in a vest as these guys :/

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G link
7/17/2011 12:24:27 pm

I love vests for their versatility, honestly. I find that they come in handy for those occasions/events when I'm not quite sure what the dress code is, so I'm not sure how formal or casual I should dress. The vest allows me to straddle that line pretty easily.

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